Just another Saturday

Hi Folks

I've spent this morning practicing my trombone. Although I have a valve trombone, learning the the slide postions is slightly different so its a touch like retraining my brain to do this.

I'm back to work tomorrow and have quite a busy week ahead with some training coming up for my second job with the Youth Offending Team. As is happens, they are now advertising for full time positions. The salary is better than where I am now and its day work too, so I've decided to put in an application. I've been with The Lighthouse Project nearly 3 years and I'm beginning to think its time to move on to pastures new for a different challenge. There was a time when I always did my best to stay in the same job, but I realise now that sometimes its best to keep myself open to other opportunities. The longest I've worked anywhere has been 5 years and I ended up with a breakdown on that one!

I've been feeling a bit of emotion in the last couple of days, but I sense a kind of a block thats stopping it coming out. I don't like this feeling, its stressful. Its like worrying about something thats not really there. I guess this will blow over and I think it would be good for me to go running later today... something I've not down for a couple of weeks.
I'm still writing bits and pieces. Having read Brennys blog, I'm considering writing a short story (details on Brennys blast). Here is today's scribbling.

Tribute to one of my oldest and closest friends John.

John and I met at about age 12. We both learned the cornet at school, although John started a year after me because he was in the bottom set class at school. In fact, he told me years later that he was lucky to get into the same Secondary Modern School we both went to because at age 11 he had been diagnosed as “educationally subnormal”. Still, John held his own in class and managed pretty well. We became firm friends and both joined the school band and later the Margate Silver Band.

Now I found out something really quite annoying about John quite early on. He was a bit of a dark horse. He was really very good at getting the better of me (and many others, I might add). The first time I played table tennis with him in a class competition, I laughed with scorn at his technique because I believed I was better having played for longer and knew a few spin shots. Trouble was, when I came up against him, he beat me.

And so it was to be….. he beat me in most things…. Chess…. Draughts…… racing push bikes. We used to go riding our bikes in the summer (which invariably resulted in one of us getting a puncture). I had a 5 gear drop handlebar racer and John had his old upright bike with no gears. On the way home we would always race the last bit with me going ahead with my head down peddling like mad and as streamlined as possible. … Somehow… John would always whiz past me in the last few hundred yards.. bolt upright with the pedal clanking against the chain guard on his old “grandad” bike as I used to call it. I can honestly say I never beat him.

When we were older and both had cars ( a Hilman Imp each) we used to go into Margate after a beer or two to get a kebab. This was a 5 mile drive and the nearest kebab house in the area back then in the early 80’s. Of course, there was the inevitable race. How we got away with this I’ll never know. One particular evening, myself, John and another friend Nigel (who had an Austin Maxi) raced up to Margate. Nigel’s car was a better performance car, so there was no way I was going to catch him, however I’d stolen a march on John that evening. Reaching speeds of 75 mph in a 50mph zone (long before speed camera’s came along), I saw Nigel go through the lights. As I got there, they turned amber. John was about 400 yards behind me. “Ha! He will never beat me this time” so I slowed a little down to about 45 in the sure knowledge I had got one over him. All of a sudden, there is a flash of lights in my rear view mirror as John shoots straight past me! Not to be outdone, he’d gone straight through the red light!

John always beats the odds. He was a late developer and achieved higher grades than me in school. After a couple of years as a technician down the pit, he went on to college and finally ended up working for Marconi Space (now taken over) as a microwave engineer, a job he does to this day very successfully. I take joy now in seeing John win games of pool or darts down the pub in the way he always used to because he never gives up. A real inspiration and one of my closest friends. (Oh… and by the way… He is a better brass musician than me too).

I found this on the net this morning. I complete nutcase playing the trombone. Hope you enjoy!

Comments

(7 total)

Well that was different, couldnt believe he got a standing ovation I would have been sending for the nutter van, wasnt much trombone playing though was there, do you do a little dance when you play ? I think going for a run will help you a lot Marty matey, release a bit of pressure.

Saturday 9 September 2006 - 02:02PM (BST)

Oh loved the sign by the way, the colonel has religious backing !

Saturday 9 September 2006 - 02:02PM (BST)

Hmm - noticing friends who are better than you....that is something I am very familiar with. Feeling less than? I guess we both have learning to do, - well I still do - about living ourselves truly for our own abilities and specialness - you are doing the work you are called to do, and he is doing his, though the world "out there" may applaud his technical abilities it is people like you who do the hard core face to face stuff that are special. The unknown. Your skills are as as great as his. In my eyes - greater than - and that is just my way of thinking..

steph

Saturday 9 September 2006 - 03:17PM (BST)

Bet you get more blog views!

Saturday 9 September 2006 - 03:17PM (CDT)

Mart, it's when we start seeing the good and great about others (and without malice), that our growth starts. YOu must be very fortunate to grow up, being able to admire friends 'better than you', rather than being
'jealous' of it! It's a rare blessing indeed. No wonder you are able to lead a life 'giving'.

Hats Off!!

Sunday 10 September 2006 - 07:11AM (IST)

Great vid again Marty. Now, there's me thinking the "slide" was part of the trombone...now I realise it's what u do with your feet as you play lol!!!!
As for friends, I think Dormouse summed it up pretty well.

Sunday 10 September 2006 - 02:41AM (BST)

The greatest thing about John is, we a really good friends. The truth is he admires what I do too. He always comes to see me when he is down to see his family. He is always respectful and we always have a good alugh about the old days. The "getting one over me" is a source of humour, but I do catch him out sometimes these days!

Sunday 10 September 2006 - 09:09AM (BST)